


Believe in Him

by LaughableLament



Series: Comment Ficlets [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Brother Feels, Comment Fic, Community: comment_fic, Ficlet, Gen, Season 9/10 Spoilers, rated for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 21:54:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4035919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaughableLament/pseuds/LaughableLament
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Case closed, pool hall, wingman Sam.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Believe in Him

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [this prompt](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/626323.html?thread=85991059#t85991059): Dean (+ any) Singing along with The Man In Black.

Sam rubs at his eyes, dry and stinging from the smoke-blue air. Been in the Midwest too long, he guesses. Didn’t realize that smoking bars were still a thing. He sips his beer. Uses that old trick Dad taught him where he tips the bottle hard and swallows long. Anybody watching sees a guy throwing them back, when really this is only his second tonight.

Dean’s not faking. Sam lost count of the rounds the pretty waitress has put on Huey Burford’s tab while Dean works the tables. They don’t really need the money. Sam dug up a Men of Letters trust that pays them a stipend for manning the Bunker. Dean hustles now for the thrill of it. Scams credit cards “on principle.”

Jukebox in the corner serves up a steady stream of old-school country. Merle Haggard and both Hank Williamses and Willie and Waylon and the boys. Trucker hats and sawdust floors and Wrangler jeans with circles faded in their back pockets give the place (called Killer Racks, he shits you not) a movie-set feel. So many stereotypes it can’t be real, but here they are. Bumfuck Kentucky. Goatman burned and buried and Dean wanted to celebrate.

Sam watches his brother nail a massé shot to sink the eight. The big cowboy he’s playing puffs up, menacing. And Dean tries his sheepish-shrug-and-smile technique but the mark’s not biting. Dean’s other Mark, though…

Sam figures it’s time to intervene before the Winchesters make another contribution to the health care industry.

Sliding down off his stool Sam makes like he’s bound for the men’s room. Collides into Dean with an _oof_ and knocks his brother damn near off his feet.

“Sorry, man. Sorry,” he slurs and Dean looks at him with murder in his eyes. “C’mon, fella. Lemme buy y’a drink.” He claps Dean on the back amicably and guides him away from the tables. Dean sways. Drunker than Sam realized.

“Left two hunnerd bucks on that table, y’asshole,” Dean hisses as they head for the bar.

“And you’re still up, what, three? Four?”

“Don’ try’n be logical with me, Spock boy. ’S the principle.”

Sam keeps an eye on the cowboy, who seems to have settled since he picked up Dean’s abandoned stake. Discreetly he pays Huey’s tab. Hand steady on Dean’s shoulder he heads for the door. And if he sees a sneer of disgust or hears a muttered _faggots_ as they make their way, he lets it go. Maybe shoots back an icy stare. Fuck these guys. They’ll be halfway back to Kansas before these dicks have slept off their hangovers.

He bundles his brother into the shotgun seat and starts to step away when Dean grabs for his forearm.

“Ferris Bueller, you’re my hero,” Dean says in his best nasally Cameron voice and cracks up. Because that joke never gets old.

And Sam’s no hero anyway.

Dean’s muttering something to himself when Sam climbs in the driver’s side. Sam pauses. Listens. Not muttering. Singing.

“I fell into a burning ring of fire – ”

Sam grins for a split second.

“I went down, down, down, and the flames went higher – ”

Was the last song playing on the jukebox in there.

“And it burns, burns, burns – ”

Then it hits him, hard. And before he can stop it, tears spring to his eyes.

“The ring of fire, the ring of fire.”

He doesn’t kid himself. It’s not gonna be as simple as rescuing Dean from a bar fight. But he’ll rip the world apart before he lets his brother burn.

Sam starts the car.

**Author's Note:**

>  _Believe in Him_ is one of Johnny's gospel albums.


End file.
